newbie with questions

[joekel]

Hi everyone last night was my first night with my cpap I also have a heated humidifier and nasal pillows I found out that I am a mouth breather I woke up after 2 hours feeling like i was suffocating I also toss and turn all night long. My biggest concern is that I am very congested in my nose to a point where I cannot breath at all through my nose .When I wake up my nose runs like crazy it is a clear discharge. Sorry for the long post but my snoring is causing issues with me and my wife. My machine is set at 10 and the humidifier is set at 2

[tangents]

Welcome to the forum, Joekel!

It would help us reply to you if you click on your profile and identify your equipment.

If you are a mouth breather, then you have two options. You can get a full face mask, or you can keep your mouth shut with a chin strap, tape, mouthguard (what I use) or Polygrip strips.

If you are just starting out, and the supplier gave you a nasal mask when you need a full face mask, maybe you can call them for an exchange. Many places allow that within the first few weeks.

If you like the nasal interface, and are concerned about congestion, then you can try using a nasal rinse system like the "Sinu-cleanse" sold at drug stores. Or you can talk to your doctor about the possibility of allergies, etc. In my case, the pressure of the CPAP tends to keep my nose clear, but everyone's different. It certainly won't if you don't keep your mouth closed.

I assume that your pressure of 10 was determined by a titration sleep study?

Anyway, keep posting and asking questions. It really helps to get everyone's inputs and suggestions.

Good luck,
Cathy

[Warbird]

You probably need a full face mask for times like this when your nose is too stuffed up to use the nasal mask. You might try cpapauction.com to purchase one or talk to your dme about your problems.

[joekel]

Thank you for the info I listed my equipment in my profile I do not have any software what is recommended? I am also wondering if my cogestion is from allergies because I am more comfortable breathing through my mouth most of the time could congestion agravate apnea Thanks again Great site Joe H

[tangents]

Hi Joe,

Good to see you listed your equipment. Unfortunately, your machine does not collect data, so there's no need for software.

Could congestion aggravate apnea? I don't know, but it seems like any inflammation of the nose and throat might cause swelling and make the air passageway more narrow, so I guess it might.

Look into your options - call your equipment supplier and see if you can exchange the mask if you want, check out nasal rinses at the pharmacy, and check with your doctor about allergy possibilities.

This CPAP therapy takes time to get used to - I don't recommend making any changes quickly, but finding out your options is always a good thing to do, in my opinion.

Sweet Dreams Tonight,
Cathy

[joekel]

Cathy I will call my supplier and try a full face I will also look into getting a sinus cleanser I saw sinucleanse at cvs Thanks again Joe H I will keep you posted

[NightHawkeye]

My biggest concern is that I am very congested in my nose to a point where I cannot breath at all through my nose .When I wake up my nose runs like crazy it is a clear discharge.

Welcome joekel! You've done good already by making it through the first night.

I've got a couple of thoughts for ya.
1)Some folks have posted here that they get congested when using a heated humidifier. Your sinuses certainly don't sound like they're dry so you might try just using the humidifier in passover mode (i.e., not turned on) tonight and see if that makes any difference. That's a whole lot cheaper than buying a full-face mask (FFM). Besides, FFM's can really be hard to work with and get used to, sometimes even just getting one that'll work for you can be a problem. Of course, if you really do need an FFM ...

2) A lot of us who have found some relief in adapting to CPAP therapy by using some sort of nightly nasal rinse or irrigation. Stay away from the ones with chemicals though. The saline solutions are what you want.

3) If your nose is running like crazy, I wonder if you are experiencing pain along with that. If so, it may be that the pillows aren't quite the right size for you. The pillows should touch your nostrils around the edges without really touching the inside of your nostrils. If necessary go back to your DME. Your mask was delivered to the DME with three sizes of pillows. If you didn't get all three sized, then your DME still has them. Maybe a larger size would work better. I'm just guessing based on what you wrote though.

Anyway, glad you're here. Best of luck with your therapy.

[joekel]

My second night was great I used a saline solution to clear my sinuses it was probably the best night sleep I have had in a while thanks for the help you guys are great Joe H